New Whispers at the Fire
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_A dark cloud descended on the south gate, bringing with it demons from the deeper Rawlinswood. Descriptions of the battle are confused, and it seems the demons turned those present against it one other. Even after the fighting stopped, bitter curses were tossed between some parties.
There is talk that the demons took the druid glen, something for which human memory can find no precedent. Others say the demons were repelled there. Yet the darkness lingers like the rotting vegetation, and a sense of foreboding lurks throughout the woods._
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A guttural, soul-wrenching howl was heard everywhere at once. Some in Norwick swore it came from the woods, others the Nars or the river.
Whether connected to the howl or not, loggers and scouts returned to town with reports of hundreds of dead goblins in the borderlands and stretching deeper toward the cliffs of the western Rawlins. Some of the bodies were burnt, some choked or drowned, many were sliced and pierced with weapons or claws. Those who arrived early said the very mist was red from the carnage.
The bodies piled high in circular mounds as if the attackers were few indeed. Not a single track was found, save for the goblins' own.
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After many years, and unexpectedly by most, the Spellweaver descends from the skies into her usual spot. The ground shakes as it lands, and a cloud of dust arises. When it clears, everyone can see the majestic Keep intact, as it was 10 years back…
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The sinewy, green-skinned and green-haired elvish druid and bard named Szath Durro was seen a while ago wandering the Rawlinswood alongside a female halfling named Doona. Recently, however, he is not seen any more. Any who search for him find only that he cannot be found. His snake companion is also gone. Doona is seen, but rarely, and she does not seem to interact with any of Norwick's townspeople - she only bitterly hunts in the nearby Rawlinswood.
[DM Xanatos Gambit]
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Tragedy strikes Norwick with the disappearance of five children from their beds during a dark and stormy night. Dozens upon dozen mangled corpses of wights lay scattered past the north gate, evidence of fierce battle taken place there - but this may have been but a diversion. The search parties work frantically, but so far without result…
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_General Theaon of the Legion can be seen talking to the Dwarven Guard near the south gates. Those nearby hear the General mention Duergars under the crypts where the mummies usually are, and something about a stash of Duergar-size armor and weapons that were recovered.
Could the Duergars be trying to move closer to the surface?_
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Aspiring artifact seekers Elri'el and Una Na'ilo could be heard squabbling in front of the campfire just before setting out on what was intended to be a simple expedition to the Norwick crypts. After a passionate argument about their 'business partnership' they were on their way, seemingly having abruptly recovered from whatever disagreement they'd had. Not long after their departure an explosion could be heard in the south that rocked the rickety foundations of the crypts.
According to the only eye witness, Elri'el, the only thing left of the cheery blonde elf was a shower of fine dust… and her coin purse.
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The doors of the Crafting hall are opened wide, with several dwarves doing their best to sweep out the saw dust, metal shavings, and other useless by-products from the crafting hall's floor.
Shouting out orders for this cleaning is Dwin Dolvak, who hobbles around pointing at areas that need more in-depth cleaning attention.
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_Great bursts of fire and explosions of magic erupt from Maria's tower, lighting up the night sky all the way to Norwick. Come morning, dozens upon dozens of charred goblin bodies can be found littering the ground all around the tower, alongside the remnants of a small battering ram.
There are also rumours of goblins being so bold as to sneak into Norwick proper, thieving whatever they can lay their grubby paws on._
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@6a8a536137=Atel:
_After a long while of being neither here nor there, it appears the little halfling Atel Vai'sini is done with all this 'going into hiding' business, and has been asking around Norwick for any who are magically inclined to speak with her as she is beginning a research project to undo her unnatural youth.
After speaking with some, she heads north to the city._
María approaches Atel and invites the halfling to her tower whenever she wants to talk about these matters.
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_After a long while of being neither here nor there, it appears the little halfling Atel Vai'sini is done with all this 'going into hiding' business, and has been asking around Norwick for any who are magically inclined to speak with her as she is beginning a research project to undo her unnatural youth.
After speaking with some, she heads north to the city._
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Roslyn Underhill was seen paying a visit to the Grapevine Inn's newest resident/employee Marie, as well as her daughter. It seems the small hin was simply making a visit to see how they were settling in.
Afterwards, however, she was seen talking to the proprietors of the inn, rumor has it that she was offering gold to cover the accommodations of the two newcomers.
((Flom, find me IG sometime and I'll drop the requisite amount of gold))
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Near the lake, a storm brewed briefly, or something like it.
Screaming hobgoblins, portals opening, lightning crashing, and a Nefnalshnee (or whatever they're called) coming forth, followed later by a Shroud of Orcusgate, were present, with only the headless body of the bigger demon, and an ash outline of the shroud, left behind as evidence of what transpired.
That, and a lot of scorch marks and blood…
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_As unnatural darkness continued to lay over the fields and Rawlingswood, a tall, shrouded figure chased the dwarf paladin Silver from the south and into South Gate, where it was engaged by a Kelemvore paladin on guard there, and by the cleric Shesarai. Although easily hit by the three, they could do little damage to it. Eventually they wore it down and killed it. The cleric said it was a Shroud of Orcus and definitely evil, though extremely magic resistant. A little later, now rested and renewed, the dwarf and the red-haired cleric were seen exiting South Gate because there supposedly were two more of these shrouded figures near the Goblin Lake.
AubreyMaturin
Characters: Romulus Grey, bard the bowman
Trotter, spooky halfling ranger
Shesarai Foutopolis, red-haired cleric of Mystra_
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_Rumours start circulating about the downfall of the goblin king Gorbok, at the hands of a group of adventurers including well known protectors of the Rawlins such as Rasuil Delagim and Leena Lynn Rayfe, but also more unexpected names like Abigail, blackguard of Orcus.
The downfall of Gorbok - along with the destruction of his immense and almost completed warmachine (the "swirly whirly cutty wutty thing") and his loyal second Pliko, rebuilt into a zombie of colossal strength - was made possible through the treachery of one of their own. Dafna, the new Queen of the Rawlins, might find her rule rather disputed if the rumours of vampires and growing unrest from demonic realms continues…
...and that's not to mention the adventurers who immediately tried to assassinate her. It seems the Rawlins are in for a turbulent time, even by the standards of this ever troubled area._
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The red-haired cleric Shesarai was seen running into South Gate, closing all the gates and rushing up the hill. She addressed the Norwick Militia guards there, telling them that she had seen and fought a fiendish spell-casting witch and a summoned flying demon on the north edge of the old Norwick Ruins. She also announced that necromantic magic had been detected in the Rawlingswood, and that it's power was growing and expanding. She warned the town to keep its gates shut and be on alert.
AubreyMaturin
Characters: Romulus Grey, bard the bowman
Trotter, spooky halfling ranger
Shesarai Foutopolis, red-haired cleric of Mystra
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The local rumor mill is buzzing lately with word that the local druid circle - for so long merely part of the background of events in the Rawlinswood and Narfell as a whole - has suddenly felt a devastating blow. Though the exact number is somewhat hazy, it seems that several of the circle's elders were recently killed.
Exact numbers are scarce, with some saying only two to three elders fell, while other more dramatic rumors state that the entire elder council was wiped out. The truth, most likely, is somewhere in the middle.
What is certain, though, is that the circle just endured a sucker punch the likes of which it's not seen since the Defiler War.
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*Anyone entering the Crafters Union hall will notice a massive golem lying on the floor near the blacksmithing station.
It is damaged and appears to be inactive. Nevertheless, its wrists and feet have been tied with stout ropes - just in case.*
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Dark rumours speak of a nest of powerful vampires taking up residence somewhere in the Rawlins. Connected to these whispers is the account of a tense conversation turned hostile at the inner gates of Norwick itself, between a group of adventurers and a pale, darkhaired woman in red and black plate. The woman, some say, was a vampire walking brazenly through town before being confronted! Others yet claim her but a mortal thrall, though a powerful necromancer at that. Regardless of which, it would appear the pale woman made her escape as the situation came to blows.
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_Troff Legion Captain Romulus and his red-haired younger sister Shesarai met for dinner in the Grapevine, as they often do. Nearby regulars leaned in a little to hear their conversation. Romulus usually does most of the talking, but tonight it was Shesarai who told the tales.
Not everything could be overheard, but the gist of the story seemed to be that a new goblin king from the Lost City is building up a huge force of fiendish goblins in the Rawlings. Also mentioned was a large and powerful mining golem with incredible magical resistance encountered in the Goblin coal mine. Finally, there was an incredible tale of the adventurers being trapped by the goblin king's army when they tried to exit the Goblin Hold, only to be saved by the intervention of the Elven mage Elvadriel, who made a deal with the Goblin King. To seal the deal, however, the adventurer's champion Nica had to defeat the Goblin King's chief lieutenant in individual combat, which she did.
AubreyMaturin_
